Thornak stepped out of the bath, water sliding off his broad shoulders. Lara's breath caught, her cheeks flushing at the sight of him.
He moved quickly, setting up a screen between them and motioning to a small box in the corner.
"This," he said, his voice low, "contains clothes I've arranged for you."
She nodded then bit her lip, caught between laughter and embarrassment.
Thornak threw on a tunic met Kael in the main tent area.
"Thorn," he began, "our men have reached the border villages."
"And?"
"The villages… most of them are empty, just as the trader described. Lanterns still burning, doors wide open, meals untouched. It's like the people vanished into thin air. Some of the soldiers report seeing shadows in the forest, moving unnaturally. I don't know if it's magic — or something worseb, but the Red Hand are using it to control them."
Thornak's jaw tightened. "Any sign of survivors?"
